Tuesday 29 November 2016

BEAUTY | 10 Hacks Every Girl Should Know


1. N E V E R pluck your own eyebrows for the first time! Luckily I am not one of these people who plucked their eyebrows to oblivion when I was at school, but I have heard so many stories about this where girl's wish they had just left their eyebrows alone or gone to get them done professionally. Once you've had them done a few times and you're confident that you know what you're doing, then go ahead and pluck away!

2. D O N O T "bake" (applying a lot of powder and leaving to settle for 2-25 mins) underneath your eyes - this causes very bad wrinkles because powder absorbs oil and moisture which keep our skin looking young and healthy, so packing all of that powder underneath our eyes is not good people! For setting your concealer under your eyes (normally), try using a moisturising/mineral powder that won't age your skin.

3. B R U S H your hair by starting at the ends first and then work your way up to the top of your head - this will avoid splitting and breakage of the hair follicles. Also, don't brush your hair when it's still wet/damp because dampness weakens the hair shaft causing breakage.

4. U S E cellotape to create a sharp, winged, smokey eyeshadow effect by firstly applying the cellotape to the back of your hand and peeling it off again (this makes sure it's not really sticky and isn't going to pull at your eyes which isn't good for them) and then apply the cellotape to the corner of each eye going up towards the tail of the brow. Then start blending away and creating a smokey eye as usual. (Maybe also make sure that you haven't already applied your foundation, as this will save you having to re-apply once the cellotape has pinched it off your skin).

5. N E V E R 'rub' your eye cream underneath your eyes, always use patting motions because constant rubbing can break tiny blood vessels underneath the skin's surface which can cause dark circles and puffy eyes - no one's got time for that!

6. I F you don't own dry shampoo, or don't have any to hand, then use talcum powder to disguise those greasy roots! Although, I will say, don't use too much as your hair will go grey! Just start by using small amounts and you'll be as good as new.

7. A P P L Y any sort of mattifying face powder to your lipstick if you would like more of a matte look and don't own a matte lipstick in the desired shade you want. You can apply this through a thin sheet of tissue, or you could just use a no colour powder and a small amount.

8. S Q U E E Z E lemon juice into a bowl and, using your fingers or an old paint brush/egg wash brush, run this through your hair (if you're blonde or have blonde/light highlights this will work particularly well for you) and sit outside in the sunshine for one to two hours - I used to do this on holiday as you're guaranteed sun - and the lemon juice will subtly react with your hair causing it to lighten.

9. A P P L Y vaseline to your eyelashes each evening, in order to condition them and prevent breakage. This is especially good for those who have previously had eyelash extensions, or who wear false eyelashes a lot.

10. I N S T E A D of mixing two different shades of foundation together, invest in some darkening or lightening drops (either from the Body Shop or anywhere else that sells them). Use these to make your foundation lighter or darker - this is a much cheaper alternative and they last f o r e v e r.


So, there are my beauty tips that I thought I'd share with you guys! All of these work really well and I do swear by a lot of them. Some of them I've picked up along the way and other's I have heard about through fellow beauty lovers!

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What's a beauty hack you swear by?xoxo

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Monday 21 November 2016

REVIEW | Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz vs Brow Definer


Today I thought that I would do a review/comparison post on both of the beloved ABH Brow Wiz and Brow Definer. 

This post has been a long time coming, but I thought the 'test' would be more fair if I used both products for roughly the same period of time.


Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz - Taupe $21.00 (9/10)

The first brow product I purchased and used religiously was the ABH Brow Wiz. I was a little hesitant when I bought this product as I strongly dislike eyebrow pencils. I read a load of different views and watched a bunch of makeup tutorials on YouTube where this product was being used, and I made my mind up to just take the plunge and buy it! Boy am I glad I did!! I'm totally o b s e s s e d with this little gem! I love the fact that the nib is more of a waxy texture in comparison to normal brow pencils that are more crayon-like, it makes applying the product a lot easier and a lot more natural. It's just completely perfect and I can't rave about the brow wiz enough. So if you're thinking about purchasing it, then just go for it!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer - Soft Brown $23.00 (7/10)

Once my brow wiz had died (when I say died, I mean literally, like it died. It was snapped from travelling in my suitcase and had completely ran out..) I decided to purchased the new ABH Brow Definer that was all the rage when it first came out. When I first tried it, I really liked the shape of the nib and the fact that it was slanted. I also opted for a slightly different colour as the swatches were looking different from when I bought the brow wiz, I decided to go with soft brown - which is the perfect shade. At first, I was a little 'meh' about the brow definer but I think that was just because I was used to the brow wiz and it's small, precise nib. Flash forward a few months and I definitely still prefer the brow wiz, but I also quite like the brow definer. It's quick, it's easy and it's good for shaping your brows. I just tend to find it a little more difficult when it comes to precision, as the thicker nib can be tricky when it comes to the tail end of the brow.

So, I prefer the brow wiz to the brow definer and I know this will be a little controversial to most people because I know everyone l o o o v e s the brow definer! Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's terrible but I also don't think it's amazing either. The brow wiz, on the other hand, I would recommend to absolutely everybody because it's honestly the best thing I've ever used on my eyebrows!

Either of these brow products would be perfect for anyone looking for a more natural filled in brow and the colour options are great - there's so many to choose from!


Which do you prefer, the wiz or the definer?xoxo
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Tuesday 15 November 2016

PREVIEW | Morphe 35F 'Fall Into Frost' Eyeshadow Palette



As soon as the email arrived in my inbox, revealing the newest Morphe eyeshadow palette - the 35F - I was all over that like a kid in a sweet shop! The colour's in this beautiful palette really speak to me and I'm so excited to start using it (because obviously I had to wait until I photographed it before I could actually use it..).

I love Morphe eyeshadow's, I think they're up there with some of the higher brands and for literally half the price. The pigmentation is always on point and the amount you get for your money is awesome.

I'm always really drawn to shimmery shadows and I think that's the main reason that I fell in love with this palette in all honesty. There are only seven matte shades in the whole palette and a total of twenty eight shimmer shades.


Top row (shimmer shades) 
Second row (shimmer shades)
Third row (shimmer shades)
Fourth row (shimmer shades)
Last row (matte shades)
Top Row, Left to Right: Frosty white shimmer, frosty pink/beige shimmer, frosty peach-y shimmer, frosty champagne shimmer, frosty golden shimmer, orange-y brown shimmer and copper shimmer.

Second Row, Left to Right: Dark brown shimmer, grey/khaki shimmer, copper/gold shimmer, grey/navy shimmer, purple shimmer with slight yellow undertone, deep chocolate brown shimmer and medium brown shimmer.

Third Row, Left to Right: Orange shimmer, dark pink shimmer with orange undertone, silver-y brown shimmer, khaki/brown shimmer, purple shimmer with slight silver undertone, plum purple shimmer with slight yellow undertone and cherry red shimmer with slight yellow undertone.

Fourth Row, Left to Right: Deep purple shimmer with slight yellow undertone, golden orange/brown shimmer, light to medium brown shimmer with silver undertone, dark pink shimmer with slight yellow undertone, dark brown shimmer with slight silver undertone, deep blue shimmer with slight silver undertone and dark brown shimmer.

Last row, Left to Right: Pale, light skin tone matte, pale brown matte with slight pink undertone, pale brown matte with orange undertone, medium brown matte with khaki and orange undertones, medium neutral brown matte, dark brown matte with slight red undertone and black matte.

So I did my best with trying to explain each shade within the palette, but as you can tell I'm no professional! So thank goodness for the swatches! I love this palette a lot and all of the shades are gorgeous, especially for this time of the year. I believe this palette is limited edition, so I would get your hands on it quick!


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Have you bought the Morphe 35T palette?xoxo

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Monday 7 November 2016

LIFESTYLE | A Trip to Westonbirt Arboretum



















I thought I'd share a few photo's from my most recent Autumnal trip to Westonbirt Arboretum! It was actually the first time I'd visited, which I know is really bad considering I only live 25 minutes away!! I went with two of my friends and we had a really lovely walk round and it all felt very Autumnal, which I was super excited about!

It was amazing how bright and vibrant some of the trees were - some were bright red, some orange and some yellow - and it was pretty amazing to be honest (I know I'm talking about trees here, but they honestly were pretty cool).

After we had walked round for a couple of hours, we decided to grab some lunch in a really cute café in Wotton-Under-Edge on our way home. Eating out is my favourite thing to do, if you didn't know that already!

If any of you ever get the opportunity to visit Westonbirt Arboretum then I highly recommend that you do!


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Have you ever visited Westonbirt Arboretum?xoxo

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Wednesday 2 November 2016

HAUL | Goodies from ColourPop


I've been wanting to buy some goodies from Colourpop for the longest time, so when I saw that they were offering free international shipping a few weeks back, I jumped on the chance and went a little O.T.T..

Unfortunately, I obviously didn't miss the pesky custom charges or the Royal Mail handling fee - which was a pain, but because I didn't have to pay shipping on top of that I really didn't mind that much.

My parcel arrived pretty quickly to be honest, I would say it took around a week and I was expecting it to take at least two weeks so I was pleasantly surprised!



When I first opened my parcel, I was greeted with the cutest little note from Colourpop which I think is a lovely little added extra that makes your delivery feel just that little bit more special. It was also packed extremely well with lots of foam material to make sure no damage would be done to the products inside.



As I said earlier, I did decide to treat myself and just buy as much as my budget would let me! I only purchased lip products this time around, but next time there is free international shipping I will definitely order some of their eyeshadow's.

I decided to purchase five of the Ultra Matte Lipsticks, two of the Lippie Stix, two of the Ultra Satin Lipsticks and one of the Lippie Pencils.





Shades, L-R: Bianca, Beeper, Midi, Avenue, Trap

Ultra Matte Lipsticks
I have heard many mixed reviews about the Ultra Matte Lips, but I decided to go ahead and purchase some for myself anyway and make up my own mind on them! A lot of people say they are extremely drying and uncomfortable to wear, but I guess I'll find that out for myself if the rumours are true! I normally tend to apply a little bit of lip salve over the top of any lip product I wear anyway, but I do expect matte lipsticks to be drying!
I will report back with a review post on the Ultra Matte Lipsticks when I have tried them all out.

Bianca - Soft, mauve pink. Perfect for daytime wear. This shade is really pretty and pink and super girly.

Beeper - Warm, mid-tone taupe. The online swatch is c o m p l e t e l y different to the actual colour of this liquid lipstick, which is a little disappointing because I was expecting a more brick red-toned shade. However, I do still like this shade a lot.

Midi - Soft, neutral, pink-y beige. Another shade perfect for daytime wear. This shade is really nice and subtle and not something I would usually go for, as it is quite a light shade.

Avenue - Deep, yellow red. A perfect shade for this time of the year, leading up to Christmas. Definitely a shade that's out of my comfort zone, but I'm excited to try this and see what it looks like!

Trap - Dusty, grey-beige. I don't own anything like this shade - with a grey undertone - and I'm excited to see what this looks like on!



Lippie Stix
I remember first hearing about the Lippie Stix ages ago on Jaclyn Hill's YouTube channel in one of her videos, and I've wanted to try these ever since! I finally got my hands on some and I only decided to purchase two. I haven't heard any negatives about the Lippie Stix, so I'm excited to see how these wear.

Lippie Pencil
I definitely feel like I should have purchased way more of the lip pencils because you can never have too many right? From the swatch, this feels super creamy and highly pigmented which is always a bonus, so I will 100% be buying more of these next time!

Ultra Satin Lip
A lot of bloggers much prefer the Ultra Satin Lip's to the Ultra Matte Lip's, as they find them much more comfortable to wear. Again, I wish I had purchased more of these than the Matte's but it's no big deal and I may get on perfectly fine with the Matte version! Obviously I also bought nude/pink shades because that's just how we roll around here!


Shades, L-R: Alyssa, Echo Park, Tootsie, Oh Snap

Oh Snap (Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil) - Pale, dirty, nude pink. Another lovely subtle shade, perfect for everyday wear. Originally I wanted Cookie, but I found the online swatch of that one a bit too "foundation-coloured nude" - if you know what I mean. So I settled for Oh Snap instead, which so far I am super pleased with.

Tootsie - Cool-toned, grey/beige. This one is similar in shade to Trap, just a lot more grey/a lot less pink.

Echo Park - Warm, peachy nude. This is a shade that I've never come across before or picked up and I have absolutely no idea why because isn't it beautiful!? I love the peach undertone, I can't wait to try this.

Alyssa - Neutral, dusty pink. Another pink based nude.. I know! I seem to be obsessed. This one is a beautiful baby pink which I love the look of.

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In case you're wondering, yes I am interested in having every single Colourpop lip shade available - I mean, can you blame me? They're so inexpensive and the shade range is a m a z i n g!

Have you ever tried anything from Colourpop?xoxo

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